


Falls The Shadow

by alycat



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Post-Apocalypse, Threesome, Violence, Were-Creatures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-29
Updated: 2012-12-29
Packaged: 2017-11-22 21:40:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/614645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alycat/pseuds/alycat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world that barely survived the last of the big wars, Jared and Jeff make their best of surviving in what can mostly be described as a wasteland.<br/>Jensen's life is a daily struggle for survival, a struggle that becomes even harder when two other werewolves come crashing into his life and all three of them are forced to reconsider a lot of things they have taken for granted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Falls The Shadow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AngstPuppy (TKShaw)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TKShaw/gifts).



> Original warnings and notes from LiveJournal
> 
> _Pairing, rating & kinks:_ Jared/JDM & Jared/Jensen/JDM - NC-17 - werewolves, post-apocalyptic, threesome, angst, violence.
> 
> Title comes from the poem _The Hollow Men_ by T.S. Eliot.

_This is the way the world ends:_  
This is the way the world ends:   
This is the way the world ends:   
Not with a bang but a whimper  
\- T.S. Eliot 

The world hadn't ended with a whimper.

There had been a bang. In fact, there had been several of them, taking out big cities and entire countries and plunging the world into a nuclear winter that had killed what the bombs and the fights had not. 

New York lay in ruins, Los Angeles had been wiped off the map, and Jared had heard rumors, whispers in the dark, that what few humans remained had gathered in the ruins of what had once been Washington DC. It was not a safe place for werewolves to go any longer, and more and more had found their way south, filtering into what had once been Mexico but was now a barren wasteland.

Jared didn't really listen to rumorsnot that he often got himself into a position to listen to them to begin with--but when the world was still balancing on the edge, when one wrong word from the surviving population was all that was needed to push it over, one would do best to not listen to those that were all too willing to talk. But even with being careful what information one took in, he still knew better than to head east. The East Coast was not a good place to be, and even less so for those that craved something besides long-lost cities. He couldn't imagine staying in a place like that: sharp ruins and still-burning fires, streets where the silhouettes of the dead had been burned into the ground when the bombs went off. 

"We can't stay here for the night."

Jeff came out from between the scrawny, gnarled trees that had once been the dense woods of Wisconsin, and Jared breathed out a sigh of relief at the sightEven though he knew Jeff hadn't been far away, he had a hard time relaxing when the older were disappeared into the darkness.

"Why not?" Jared asked, getting up from where he had been sitting crouched, hidden behind a fallen trunk and the ruins of a forest cabin. 

"The water is...not drinkable," Jeff explained, reaching for the small bag in which they kept what little belongings they had. "I think something died in the pond, and we don't have enough water to last us long. We need something better. 

With a nod Jared reached for the bag. He hated strapping it onto his mate but they needed to carry their items with them and took turns carrying it. Jeff didn't bother to say anything, just walked close enough to lean into Jared for a moment before he let his body shift and change, bones reforming themselves into something new, and coarse fur replacing tanned skin. Jared reached down to brush his fingers through the wolf's thick fur before he put the bag in place. He knew that Jeff hated carrying the bag just as much as he himself did., It was not very comfortable, so he allowed one scratch between pointed ears before his own change swept through him. When he blinked he found himself much closer to the ground and for a moment his nose itched from the avalanche of new scents that always slammed into him when he changed. 

West? Jared asked when his mind had adjusted to his other form.

West, Jeff agreed. We still have some meat, but we'll need to hunt in a few days time. Right now, we need water. 

They took off side-by-side, Jared's wolf standing as tall as Jeff's, though less bulky. He knew that not many creatures would be prepared to mess with predators of their size, especially with the two of them. For the most part they kept quiet, because even though Jared was quite sure there was no one else in the area, he knew how dangerous it could be to lose focus on things. He had seen it happen too many times to count. After they found a good resting placethey could relax and talk, but, in an unfamiliar forest, silence was always a good companion to keep. 

Hunt. Jeff was right, they would need to hunt someday soon, but they were much too close to what had once been a town, and towns usually meant survivors. Survivors usually meant wolves protecting what little they had left, or humans with guns, set on killing everything that didn't walk on two legs. Either way, it was not a place to be and what little wildlife there was would be too dangerous to hunt for. Jared just hoped that now that they were venturing into former Milwaukee they might find some game, and maybe even a spot secure enough for them to be able to light a fire. He did miss the heat of the fire, and the taste of meat that wasn't raw.

_Do you smell that?_

Jeff's voice cut through his thoughts and Jared slowed down enough to take in their surroundings. The trees were becoming thicker, taller, and the ground beneath his paws was going softer; a dampness in the air.

_There's water close,_ Jared said, turning towards his mate. _Good water._

That was just what they needed; fresh water. Water that flowed, that hadn't gone stale, and that would taste so very perfect as it flowed down their throats. Without another word they both picked up speed, the heavy thud of paws not enough to mask the sound of running water when they moved deeper into the woods. They both slowed down, careful to listen for possible sounds of danger but the area around them was silent and they broke through out onto the river bank to find the narrow stream of water just as wonderful as they had hoped for.

Jared's snout was dripping wet by the time he pulled back, licking the drops away and scanning the area around them one more time before he dared to let his body twist and change itself into his two-legged form.

"Jeff, are we staying here for the night?" he asked, shivering slightly at the evening air brushing over his naked skin.

The way the other werewolf walked over to him, pressing up against Jared's leg, was answer enough and he reached down to unstrap the bag from Jeff's back, leaving him free to shift as well. Standing side-by-side on the cold banks of the river, neither of them said a word for several long minutes. Finally, Jeff wrapped one arm around Jared's waist for the briefest of seconds before he knelt down to open the bag, pulling out some human clothes for them to wear.

"See those cliffs over there?" Jeff said, nodding towards a place further downstream where the river curved around said cliffs and disappeared out of sight. "I think we could be safe next to them, not so much wind. We could stay two-legged for a few hours, maybe even have a fire."

Those words had Jared smiling and he quickly pulled on his clothes, worn jeans and a simple t-shirt, the only human clothing they carried. If they dared to venture into populated areas they would need to get their hands on some new clothes soon, but when they spent most of their time on all fours, it wasn't at the top of their priority list. 

"Where do you think we are?" he asked Jeff as they made their way over the slippery rocks of the river bank over to the cliffs.

Jeff sniffed the air, head tilting to the side, and Jared felt a sharp burst of lust run through him when his mate turned around. His motions were more fluid than a human could ever hope to master, and the setting sun made his skin look golden against the salt and pepper of his hair and beard. 

"Far enough from any of the big cities for there to be much damage," Jeff said. "There's barely any scent of pollution in the air here. We should get a few hours sleep and go hunting when the dark settles. Water, fire and some fresh meat. What do you think, Jay, wanna stay here a few days?"

He wanted to answer, wanted to agree, but he didn't manage a word before Jeff had him pushed up against the hardness of the rock. His tongue licked forcefully into Jared's mouth, tasting him and claiming him in a way that had Jared's cock throbbing with need. Jared loved his wolf; it was a big part of him, at times even the dominant part of him, but this was something they could never do in wolf form and Jared relished their human time. The way Jeff's hands roamed over his body, thumbs dragging over the waistline of his jeans before they pushed the t-shirt up enough to get to his skin. It was always good with Jeff, always heat and a desperate need between them, battle between two strong wills, and even though it more times than not ended with Jeff pushing inside him, there was no doubt in Jared's mind that they were equals. He knew Jeff didn't want some docile little mate that bowed down before him-- he needed the fight and the battle for control just as much as Jared did. 

In a world that had gone to hell, many humans and werewolves alike had given up on the concept of love, but not Jared, and when a lone wolf had stumbled into the small werewolf habitat he had been raised in, there had been something there right from the start. Jared didn't remember his parents, who had both succumbed to the illness spreading like wildfire over the lands after the big collapse of everything, and the people that had raised him were good werewolves, but they were not enough to make him stay when Jeff offered him a place by his side. With Jeff rocking against him, his hard cock rubbing up against Jared's, he was reminded just how much better the nomadic life with Jeff was than the pretend safety of village life. 

A low groan left Jared's lips and Jeff pulled back, his fingers coming up to drag over Jared's lower lip

"Jay?" Jeff said, a smile on his lips as he leaned in for another quick kiss before stepping away from Jared, putting some much-needed distance between them.

Even with the distance, Jared could _smell_ Jeff's arousal and it had his blood boiling in his veins. With a small shake of his head, Jared tried to clear his mind enough to remember what they had been talking about. 

"Staying here would be good," he breathed out, leaning back against the hard rock behind him, still slightly breathless from Jeff's deep kisses. "But I think I could go for other things than sleep."

Jeff's eyes darkened with lust but he laughed and shook his head. Jared knew that the older man had a point because neither of them would be very good if they didn't get some sleep, so he pushed his lust to the background in favor of reaching into the bag to grab their water bottles. Kneeling down next to the river he could feel Jeff's eyes on him for a moment but then he heard Jeff move around, the touch of bare feet first against the rocks of the river bank and then fading when Jeff walked back in between the trees. Filling all their bottles, Jared put them away in their bag and closed it shut, pushing it up against the cliffs before he followed where Jeff had gone. 

"This is perfect," Jeff said the moment Jared found him.

He could only agree with that statement because Jeff was standing in front of a small cave, so low that the opening only came up to their waists in their human forms. Jared bent down to look inside and saw dry earth and an alcove that would be protected from the sides, giving them a good resting place in their wolf forms. 

"We're staying here for some time, aren't we?" Jared asked.

"Oh, we are," Jeff agreed.

They stood silent side-by-side for several long minutes, nothing but the distant sound of running water and the wind through the trees disturbing the silence as it stretched up heavy and comforting between them. In the years that they had been moving across a broken countryside they had never before found a spot that perfect, a place they could so easily defend if it came to it, and they both knew that they would stay there and get some much-needed rest.

"I'll go search for some good firewood," Jeff said, his hand stroking down over Jared's back for a moment. "Prepare a fire pit?"

-¤-  
-¤-

With bellies full and bodies rested, Jeff started to plan ahead. As good as their little corner of the forest was, there were things they still needed and he knew that to find them they would have to venture into the ruins of dead cities. If the way Jared was starting to fidget nervously around Jeff was any indication, the younger were knew it as well, and even with the knowledge that it _needed_ to happen neither of them was quite ready to actually bring the subject up. 

"Wanna sleep?" Jared asked, turning slightly where he had been stretched out on his belly next to the slowly fading embers of the fire.

The way he said it, the tilt of his smile, was enough to make Jeff know just how little plans Jared actually had of sleeping, even without seeing the way Jared angled his entire body in a pure invitation. Without a single word Jeff reached into their bag, pulling out a little jar of sticky liquid that was the only kind of lubricant that the world had seen in the last few years.

Jared was pulling his own clothes off even before Jeff had breached the distance between them, and by the time they had skin on skin they were both rock hard and needing the contact desperately. There was something so very special with the way his tall, strong mate pressed against him, hard muscles against his own, and Jeff often felt pride rise up inside him over the fact that he had someone like Jared. Someone that would challenge him, stand up against him and also someone who was as likely to spread his legs willingly as he was likely to make Jeff work for it. 

"Sleep feels really overrated," Jeff almost growled as he slicked his fingers with the liquid.

He crashed their mouths together in a kiss that was almost brutally hard, none of them interested in lovemaking in that moment, there was too much tension that they both needed to work out and beside hunting there was no better way to do it than to fuck deep and hard. The kiss deepened when Jared's hand grabbed Jeff's shoulders, pulling him down and grinding their bodies harder, giving just as much as he was taking and his tongue demanding its way into Jeff's mouth. When Jeff slid slick fingers down between Jared's legs the man willingly let them fall apart, opening himself up for Jeff. Even though it had happened so many times before it took Jeff's breath away; the way Jared could submit to him and still keep all of his strength. 

"Fuck," Jared hissed when Jeff pushed one finger deep into his body.

There was no doubt that the sudden stretch must burn but when Jared pushed down on Jeff's finger he did so with a deep, reverberating moan. Jeff was happy for it because he wasn't sure he would be able to go slow even if he wanted to. As always, he and Jared were on the same page though, and Jared was already pleading for more, rocking his hips down in his search for more. 

"C'mon Jeff," Jared groaned."Fucking need it. You know I can take it... don't... c'mon..."

Jeff knew his mate could take it, knew he craved it just as much as Jeff himself did and he pushed a second finger inside, working Jared open. When he twisted his fingers to find that sensitive spot inside, Jared's pleading gave way to a deep moan and a tremble worked its way through his body. He could feel Jared's tight hole snug around his fingers, could feel the rim cling to him as he pushed more slick inside, and he cursed the fact that he hadn't bothered to remove his own clothes before he got his hands on Jared. The fabric of his pants was feeling too rough against his hard cock and he knew he needed to get skin on skin soon. 

"Fucking tight," he mumbled, pulling back enough to be able to look down to where his fingers were sliding into Jared's body. "Gonna feel so good to fuck you, watch you take all of me."

Jared's nails were cutting marks into Jeff's arms before sliding down. He tugged at Jeff's shirt, struggling to get it off even as Jeff's fingers were fucking into him and he circled them to stretch the tight rim, preparing his mate for his cock. 

"Just... need to..." Jeff got out through gritted teeth before he pulled his fingers free from Jared's body and struggled with his own clothes. 

He could feel Jared's eyes on him as he peeled out of his jeans. When he looked at the younger were where he was stretched out on the ground he felt his breath hitch in his chest at the sight of Jared's big hand wrapped around his cock, stroking slowly as he looked at Jeff. 

"Do it," Jared mumbled. "I'm ready. So fucking ready."

His fingers flicked up over the head of his cock, sliding through the pre-come and Jeff kicked himself free of his clothes and wasted no time placing himself between Jared's spread legs. He wrapped one hand around his hard cock and aligned himself with the slick opening. Jared lifted up one leg to wrap it around Jeff's waist, pulling him in, and Jeff allowed himself to sink into Jared's body, tight heat gripping his cock. They both let out deep groans of pleasure as Jeff buried himself deep.

"Yes..." Jared gasped, hips snapping up to take Jeff even deeper. 

Jeff managed to keep still for no more than a few moments before he pulled back, head of his cock holding Jared open for a brief second before he slammed back in, taking Jared deep and hard. With each snap of his hips Jared met him with just as much desperate need as Jeff himself felt. Their sweat-slicked bodies moved together in a practiced rhythm, familiarity in each movement, and Jeff pushed Jared down hard into the ground, knowing full well that his mate would feel it the next day. He would feel it himself, the way Jared's nails dragged down his back and the man wrapped both legs tight around Jeff, making the thrusts slow down into a deep grinding and Jeff knew when he hit Jared's prostate, could tell it from the way his fingers gripped tighter and the way his moan turned into a growl. 

He could feel Jared's muscles squeeze him even tighter, slick heat that pulled Jeff in each time he pulled back and he knew neither of them would last very long, it had been too long since the last time they had been together like this. When Jared's body locked down around him, Jeff's growl rang out loud in the darkness of the forest as he tumbled after his mate over the edge. 

-¤-  
-¤-

The city was mostly in ruins, crumbled structures that were barely able to sustain life, and yet Jensen had seen shadows move through the dark pillars of what had once been a beautiful city.. Death and decay laid like a thick blanket over the town even now, years after the end of everything, and when he moved he did so on silent paws, hoping that he would stay more hidden to others than they were to him. Desperation had drawn him into the ruined city, hunger clawing at his belly and he knew he needed to find something to eat that wasn't the few scrawny animals he had managed to hunt over the last few weeks. Werewolf or not, the human side of him was craving more and Jensen knew that what strength he had left would soon fade away. He could feel himself become weaker and weaker by the day. 

That was his only excuse for creeping around the ruins of a town that he didn't even know the name of, searching for something that would keep him alive a while longer. Years wandering a world that had collapsed in on itself and yet Jensen refused to give up. Maybe it wasn't much of a life, barely scraping by, but it was a form of life, and Jensen was clinging to it for all he was worth. Rounding a corner he pulled back as fast as he could, watching the two humans sitting in the middle of what might have once been a town square, guns resting on their laps. Their stillness must have been why he hadn't scented them before he stepped out of the alley he had been crouching in. Like statues they sat, unmovable and deadly and Jensen cursed his bad luck at running in to humans in a part of the country that was supposed to be mostly werewolf territory. Werewolves were bad enough, but at least they didn't have guns 

He could scent werewolves as well though, a barely-there scent lingering in the air and he wondered how long since they had passed, hours at least if not days, and Jensen hoped that they had left something for him to sink his teeth into. With humans in the town, he needed to move fast and stay hidden, not wanting those guns aimed at him One good thing came with humans, however, and that was their obsession with storing much more than they could use up in the near future and he knew that if he could find one of their warehouses, he might be able to find enough food to last him for weeks. Backtracking he found another path, one that would take him around the armed men and at times he could hear the sounds of humans moving around in what few buildings were still habitable. 

Suddenly a fragrance hit his sensitive nose and it was enough to make him stop in his tracks, raising his head up to try and find out where it came from. Following the scent he found himself in front of a basement door and from the scent alone he knew that he had struck gold, from the other side he could scent more food than he would be able to carry and if he wasn't mistaken the humans had even stockpiled things like soap inside and it was all too much to stay away from. Shifting form Jensen dropped the backpack he had been carrying in his teeth, getting out the lockpick equipment he made sure to carry with him whenever he made his way into the cities. He soon had the lock open, never stopping to look around for fear that someone might hear him. 

Opening the door he slid down into the darkness, silently closing the door behind him and he was grateful for the fact that even in his human form, the wolf part of him was still helping him see in the dark. Shelf after shelf stretched out in front of him, each one of them filled with cans of food, piles of clothes, soap and then the things that had teased Jensen's nose from blocks away: smoked hams and loaves of bread that could be no older than a few hours. 

"Oh, Gods," Jensen mumbled below his breath, hunger gnawing at his belly but instead he quickly moved over to pull several layers of clothes onto his naked body.

He put more and more cans into the backpack, stuffing it almost full before he caved in and added ham and bread to the top. The canned goods would last him longer, but he couldn't pass up some fresh, human food. Only when the bag was full did he allow himself to sink his teeth into the soft bread for a few minutes before he hefted the bag onto his back and moved towards the door and closed the lock once more, hoping that it would help him buy some time before they realized someone had been in the storage. 

Cursing the fact that he couldn't turn back to his wolf form, Jensen tried to move as silently as possible with the heavy bag on his back and he could smell the scent of the woods when everything went to hell. 

A sound somewhere behind had Jensen turning around for the briefest of seconds and only when he turned back did he realize that he had managed step beyond the protective darkness of the alley.When he turned to the side he was looking right at a man with a gun but much worse, that the man was looking back. There were several long moments of nothing at all, and Jensen almost dared to believe that the man would think of him as human, that he wouldn't realize that Jensen was an intruder.

That hope was ripped away when something slammed into his leg, throwing him back and it took much too long before he realized that he had been shot. Pain shot through him, impossibly long after the bullet, and even though Jensen knew that the wound wasn't deadly in itself, it might slow him down enough that the humans would be able to catch up with him. He had to clench his teeth together to not scream when the pain became worse as he stumbled back into the alley and he knew all too well that the human would be right behind him, gun aiming for Jensen. 

If he had thought the heavy backpack had been bad, that was nothing compared to the pain in his leg and he was biting back tears, forcing himself to keep going. There was no way he was giving up the things he had stolen, with the wound in his leg that might be the only food he would be able to get for quite some time if he actually managed to survive.

"Thief! Stop him!"

The shout was loud behind him and panic clawed at Jensen's mind, battling with the ever-increasing pain and when he allowed his hand to fall down to his thigh, he could feel the warm wetness of blood under his fingers. He knew that he wouldn't be able to move for much longer, not when each step made him bleed more but he was so close to the edge of town and the vast woods that would be his only chance of survival. He had to get there. Humans were good with their guns when in the towns, concrete and metal much more their element, but Jensen knew that in the forest he would be able to stay hidden even if they came after him with torches to lead the way.

Jensen was just reaching the edge of the woods when he was thrown forward and it took him a few long seconds before the pain shot through him and he connected the loud sound echoing between the buildings behind him; he had been shot again. Stumbling into the trees he almost screamed when the strap of the backpack slid to the side and he realized that the gunshot had hit his right shoulder, making his arm as good as useless. 

"No," he groaned, balancing himself with his left hand against a tree.

He was so close to safety, he couldn't die now. Not when he had survived years and years alone in a world that had turned very dark and dangerous. Behind him he could hear humans draw closer and he knew that soon he would have a gun pointed at him. The morbid side of him wondered if he would even have time to hear the shot that would kill him.

"Over here, I'm sure I shot the bastard."

"What was it?"

"A man. Carrying a backpack, coming from the storage area."

Jensen's eyes grew wide when he realized that they thought he was human. He always forgot that while werewolves had no problem making out the difference between human and were, the dull humans wouldn't know unless they were shown. Which meant that they didn't know that Jensen could see them in the darkness, that he could see everything. Maybe that little thing could give him the upper hand, if not for the fact that darkness was tugging at the edges of his mind, wanting to pull him under and with the double assault of pain he longed for oblivion. 

Before anything could happen, two roars rang out in the dark of the night, blood-curdling noises and Jensen could hear the panicked voices of the humans before two huge forms ran past him and the next moment screams rang out in the darkness. Jensen sank down on the ground, back against the trunk of the tree he had been balanced against and he couldn't find it in himself to care about the damp ground beneath him, couldn't care that something was chasing the humans away. With one last sigh he allowed to darkness to devour him. 

-¤-

Jensen was warm.

That in itself was unusual enough for his eyes to snap open only to slam shut again when he found himself staring into the warm light of a fire. He could barely believe it, not many people dared to light fires anymore and even though his mind was foggy and slow, he did remember humans hunting him. Shifting slightly he cried out in pain and more memories slammed into him, memories of bullets finding him and tearing into flesh. 

"Jeff! He's awake!"

The voice wasn't familiar and neither was the name. Jensen fought against the urge to pass out again, trying to get his mind to put the pieces together. Two of them at least, whoever _them_ were, and Jensen had no idea how to get away from them, not when the smallest movement had pain spreading out from his wounded shoulder and thigh. Suddenly someone was touching his good arm and that was enough to make Jensen open his eyes again. This time he wasn't met by a sparkling fire, instead a big man was kneeling beside him, the fire behind him and his face shrouded in shadow. Looking to the side his eyes widened when he saw one of the biggest wolves he had ever seen. Jensen wasn't small, no matter his form, but the grey wolf had several inches on him. Despite the unfamiliar man and the big wolf, Jensen breathed a sigh of relief: if he had landed himself with werewolves that meant he wouldn't be killed off at least. If that had been their plan, Jensen would have been dead already.

"How you feeling?" the man in front of him asked.

Jensen opened his mouth to speak but his lips and tongue were too dry, all he got out was a croaking sound and cough. The stranger moved with a speed and grace that only werewolves were capable of and the next moment Jensen found a mug pressed to his lips. Hhe couldn't hold back a pleased moan when cold water slid down his dry throat. 

"Better?"

"Yeah,"Jensen managed to get out but when he tried to get more comfortable pain shot through him again and he couldn't hold back the grunt or the way he gasped for air.

"Right. Stay still. We didn’t patch you up just for you to move around and tear the stitches open."

"Stiches?" Jensen frowned and looked down his body for the first time.

The wound on his shoulder was wrapped in what must once have been clothes, worn fabric that was stained a rusty red. Ignoring the stranger's words Jensen pushed himself up into sitting position and when he looked down he saw that his thigh was wrapped in similar cloth and he looked up at the man beside him with confusion. 

"Why haven't they healed?"

"Silver-coated bullets," the man growled. "They barely have enough food to scrape by, but of course they have silver for their damn bullets."

Jensen groaned and fell down back down onto the ground only to realize that he was resting on soft blankets that in combination with the nearby fire kept him warm and the nearest thing to comfortable he had felt in months. He would almost feel relieved, if not for the fact that he had been shot with silver. With ordinary bullets he would have been fully healed already, but the silver coating had made his flesh react badly and Jensen knew that no matter how much his saviors had patched him up, he was not out of the woods yet. The bullet might be out, but the silver was still lingering, hindering him from healing up and weakening him in every way possible. Jensen would be lucky if he could even manage to stand on his own feet for the coming week. 

He was just about to speak, to let out all the questions that were building inside him, when the wolf shifted and Jensen was faced with a tall, dark-haired man, with calm eyes that landed heavy on Jensen and a part of him wanted to pull away and hide from the two werewolves. Another part was rejoicing over the fact that he was with his own kind for the first time in years.

-¤-  
-¤-

The man on the ground was still pale, a sickly tone to his skin that left Jeff worried and had it been a weaker werewolf he wouldn't have rated him high on the chance of survival. As it was, the werewolf they had saved was strong, that much was obvious in the play of muscles under sweat-damp skin. Despite the silver lingering in his system, Jeff was hopeful that the man would recover. At that time Jeff wasn't worried about the silver as much as he was worried about the humans finding them.

"What's your name?" he asked the man, stepping closer and resting one hand on Jared's shoulder where his mate was kneeling on the ground. 

Green eyes flickered up to meet his before darting around, taking in what little he must be able to see from his position on the ground and Jeff wondered if he would have to ask again. 

"Jensen," the werewolf answered, shifting once more and Jeff cursed, reaching down to push the man back down flat on his back. 

"Well, Jensen, I'm Jeff and you need to stay still or you'll pull the stitches and I'm really not all that eager to sew you back up again."

"Fuck if you think I'm just gonna lay on my back," Jensen bit back. "I don't know you, either of you and I can handle myself."

Jeff looked down at Jared and he could see both annoyance and amusement in the man's hazel eyes, a small smile making his dimples pop out for the briefest of moments. 

"You've got a handful with this one, Jeff," Jared grinned

That was most likely an understatement, Jeff could see a lot of his own mate in the man they had saved. The strength and independence that was a good thing to have in their world, but also something that would make the coming weeks very interesting. 

"Jensen," Jeff said. "If you can as much as sit up without crying out in pain, I'll let you go, deal?"

"Jeff!" Jared protested angrily. 

Jensen gritted his teeth together and Jeff could see the battle of common sense and stubborn pigheadedness and Jeff almost expected him to get on his feet, no matter what. Instead the man sighed and relaxed back down on the ground with a few low curses.

"I can't," Jensen said, words hard and short. 

"Good!" Jared exclaimed, glaring up at Jeff. "We didn't save you just so you could bust yourself up again due to being stubborn!"

"And you are?" Jensen asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"Jared."

"Right," Jensen said and he tried to look around Jared, obviously searching for something. "Not to sound rude but when you saved me, did you perhaps save some clothes as well? I'm naked here!"

Jeff huffed out a laugh at that, it wasn't like he and Jared weren't naked as well, after all. But for some reason it seemed to matter to Jensen and it took a few moments before Jeff realized why. Most werewolves didn't care about nudity, not unless they had lived in human habitats at times. And maybe there was more to Jensen than he had first expected if the man was human-raised and yet strong enough to survive in the wild by himself. Sneaking into the ruins of human city, boldly stealing from their storages, showed of enough boldness that it almost tilted over into stupidity. 

"I patched up your clothes while Jeff patched you up," Jared said and stood up, walking over to the opening to the cave where Jensen's backpack had been stored. "I washed away the blood as well as I could."

There were still a few rust-red marks on the shirt and pants Jared brought back, but the holes from the gun had been patched and Jensen didn't seem to mind the stains. He pulled the blankets that had covered him to the side but then he froze, staring at the clothes in his hands and then down on his body.

"I don't think I... fuck..." Jensen said quietly.

"Jared," Jeff said without taking his eyes off Jensen. "Would you mind cooking up something to eat?"

Jared looked down at Jensen, clearly hesitating but then he nodded and returned to their little storage area, leaving Jeff to deal with Jensen.

"There's nothing I haven't seen when I stitched you up," Jeff said, taking the clothes from Jensen.

He got no answer on that but Jensen allowed Jeff to help him with the clothes, wincing when even the cloth of the worn old sweatpants caused him pain. It wasn't the first time Jeff had seen someone affected by silver bullets and he knew how sore the skin around the wounds would be, knew that each brush of cloth must send shots of pure pain through Jensen's body. Yet the man didn't let out as much as whimper. Looking over his shoulder he saw that Jared had slid into a pair of worn jeans and he knew that his mate must have done that so as to not upset their patient. Once he had Jensen dressed, Jeff made his own way over to their little clothes pile. He was happy that Jensen had been smart enough to dress in several layers just to be able to steal as many clothes as possible. It still wasn't much but he had managed to steal some clothes that actually fit Jeff and Jared decently, and once he was dressed in his own pair of sweats, Jeff walked over to kneel down beside Jared. 

"Will he be okay?" Jared asked, looking back at Jensen.

" _He_ is a werewolf," Jensen said behind them. "I can hear you."

Jared looked a bit chagrined but his face shifted into a smile when Jeff leaned in for a quick press of lips. When he turned around to Jensen the man had put one arm under his head, and for a second Jeff allowed himself to appreciate the sight in front of him before he spoke. 

"I'm sure you'll be fine," he said honestly. "It will hurt and be a complete bitch, but as long as you stay rested and no infection sets in, you should be good to go in no time."

He could see doubt in Jensen's eyes and he couldn't really blame the man; it must be a lot to take in after all and Jeff knew he wouldn't be able to relax if he was in the hands of unknown people, no matter what species they were.

"Have you been...travelling together?" Jensen asked, eyes darting back and forth between them.

Jeff looked at his mate, Jared smiling slightly as he skewered three thick slices of ham to heat them up over the open fire . His eyes were locked on the food he was preparing but he was the one answering Jensen's question.

"Six years," Jared said, reaching for a loaf of bread. "Jeff came and offered me something more than just...what I had. Actually living instead of stealing a few more hours of something we called life, something we knew was doomed to abandon us all too soon."

Even with all the years spent together, it wasn't often that Jared spoke of the time before he met Jeff and the two of them started building their life together. He knew that it hadn't been easy, living in one of the most conservative of werewolf villages. Jared was too young to truly remember life before the slow crumbling of the world that had led to the world ending, but he knew all too well what the world had turned into after the great fall. 

"You left a settlement willingly?" Jensen asked and there was a hint of anger in his voice that had both Jeff and Jared turning to face him. 

"Yes," Jared said and pushed himself up into his full length. "I had nothing there, no one. I’d rather travel the world with Jeff than stay in a place like that."

Jeff took in the defensive posture of his mate as well as the way Jensen glared up at them from his position on the ground. He didn't know what to say, not until Jared huffed and returned to preparing their food, placing ham and roasted bread on top of flat stones for them to use as plates. Jensen said nothing but despite Jeff's disapproving look he shifted around until he was faced away from them.

"I shouldn't have to defend myself," Jared said quietly but Jeff knew that he as well was aware of the fact that Jensen would be able to hear them. "I will never regret going with you."

"There was never another choice," Jeff said with conviction and he dragged one hand down over his mates back in a soothing motion. "I couldn't leave you in that dying village. But there's something you might need to consider."

"What?" Jared asked and there was a frown on his face. 

"Not everyone had a village to leave in the first place. Isn't that right, Jensen?"

The only answer he got was a tightening of Jensen's shoulders but that was enough to tell him that his words had been spot on and suddenly he understood much more about the man they had saved. 

-¤-  
-¤-

Following his mate's gaze, Jared looked at Jensen and even with the anger welling inside him he could see the truth in Jeff's words and he tried to imagine what Jeff was talking about. For all the hatred he had for the village he had grown up in, the manipulation and the pettiness of werewolves scared for their lives and yet trying to live in what had resembled a human settlement, he still knew that he had been one of the lucky ones, that even that life must been to prefer over being alone. Jeff's eyes were warm and he nodded at Jared before reaching out to take one of the stone plates and moving away from the mouth of their small cave.

Jared hesitated for a moment but then he grabbed the two remaining plates and walked over to Jensen, stepping over his body to sit down next to the man, putting down one plate in front of him and resting the other one against his own thigh. Jensen looked at the food and for a moment Jared almost expected him to refuse it, but instead Jensen reached for it and took the piece of bread, groaning when it crunched between his teeth, warm and roasted golden. 

"I had to leave," Jared said, breaking off a piece of his own bread. "One year after I left, the village was gone. All of them dead."

"I barely remember when it all went to shit," Jensen said quietly between small bites of bread and ham. "But...when it all went down and we came out on the other side, there was no one."

The world had ended almost ten years earlier and for the first time Jared was truly grateful for the small community he had been a part of, the remnants of a bigger city that had bonded together. Even with all its faults he couldn't even imagine having been alone in that world, the cold nights and the big areas so polluted with radiation that nothing would ever be able to live there again.

"You've been alone for ten years?" he asked carefully.

"Give or take a few," Jensen answered, bitterness making the words harsh. "There have been a few times I've tried to travel with others but..."

He drifted off into silence and the rest of the meal was had in a silence that was surprisingly comfortable and Jared allowed himself to look at the man they had saved. Neither he nor Jeff had expected things to go down the way they had when they had travelled towards the human town to replenish their meager supplies, and he could still clearly remember the metallic scent of werewolf blood that had met them when they had approached the edge of the forest. Nothing more than a look had been traded when they had spotted the wounded werewolf, no plan worked out before they threw themselves at the humans, attacking them so quickly that the guns had been of no use, arms broken and skin ripped open by claws before a single shot had been fired. He knew it had been pure luck combined with the fact that the humans had expected one badly wounded werewolf, not two in their prime, that had made it possible for them to overcome the threat so easily. Taking Jensen back to their camp hadn't been easy; even when Jeff had managed to get the bullets out and there was a chance the were would survive, Jared had barely expected them to make it all the way back. Luckily the distance meant that the chance of humans coming after them was basically non-existant. 

"The things I stole..." Jensen said suddenly, just as Jeff returned and sat down close to Jared, slinging one arm over his shoulders. 

"We got it all here," Jeff answered him. "You didn't risk your life for nothing, even though I guess it won't last long split between the three of us."

Jensen's gaze snapped up and he stared between them, a frown appearing on his face and when he spoke, the words didn't really surprise Jared.

"You're... staying?"

Jeff looked almost shocked at the words and Jared could understand him, he hadn't heard Jensen's raw voice when he spoke of the time just after the bombs had went off. If he had he wouldn't have been surprised at all. Jared was happy they didn't have to talk about it, they might have abandoned life in a small werewolf community but neither of them would ever leave a wounded werewolf to fend for himself and Jared knew that they wouldn't be going anywhere until Jensen was strong enough to take care of himself. 

"Of course we are," Jeff said. "We'll take care of you."

Jensen's gaze fell away from them, an angry flush creeping up his cheeks and Jared could only imagine how much that comment must have rubbed Jensen the wrong way. 

"You don't have to..." Jensen started but Jeff interrupted him.

"I know we don't _have_ to," Jeff said, deep voice close to a growl. "But that's what we do. We didn't save your life only to leave you here to die slowly. We'll stick around until you're back on your feet.

With a sharp little nod Jensen pushed the stone plate aside but he didn't say anything and he didn't look at either of them, instead turning away and the silence was thick enough to almost be considered a fourth presence in their little camp. Jared wasn't sure what they had said to anger Jensen, but something had shifted and Jared didn't know how to make it shift back, not when Jensen was just as tense as he had been when he first woke up. 

Jared stood up and gathered the stones together, walking down to the river to rinse them clean and Jeff followed close behind. He wondered if Jeff felt the same need for some time just for them, just like Jared did, neither of them used to having another around to think about. 

"I can't really get a grip on him," Jeff said, kneeling down on the river bank to rinse his hands in the cold water. 

"He's been alone almost since the explosions, most of the time," Jared explained and tucked the stones up against a few rocks where he was sure he wouldn't lose them.

Jeff let out a low whistle, a sharp sound that was full of surprise and they both look up to the area where they knew Jensen lay, posture probably still as stiff as it had been when they left him. 

"I guessed he had been alone, but all this time? He would barely have been a teenager back then."

Jared nodded because he had figured out the same. Jensen must be closer to his own age than Jeff's and that meant he couldn't have been very old when the world as they knew it ended bloody. He couldn't help but wonder about a man, merely a boy back then, that was strong enough to survive through all of that and just how much it must have cost him. 

"We should get back before his stubbornness gets the better of him and he tries to get back," Jared said and Jeff nodded.

With Jensen wrapped in what meager supply of blankets they had, they both opted to change into their wolves before they made their way back to their campsite, only to find Jensen fast asleep. Even in sleep he was shivering hard enough for teeth to shatter.

_It's the silver in his system,_ Jeff's voice rumbled in Jared's mind. _His body is fighting the silver infection; it's ten times worse than any fever you can imagine._

It wasn't the first time his mate had alluded to having silver-induced damage in the past but it was never something he really spoke about, just like Jared didn't give details about the worst days of his life in the village. Some things didn't need re-living for your partner to understand you.

_We can't leave him like that_ Jared pointed out.

_Jared..._ Jeff sighed.

Jared just looked at his mate, not prepared to really discuss it and he hoped Jeff would understand. They had saved Jensen, that made him their responsibility and there was no chance Jared would just leave him there when there was something he could do to help. Luckily it seemed that his mate understood even though he didn't fully agree and when Jared moved forward, Jeff followed him until they were pressed close on either side of Jensen, sharing their body heat.

-¤-  
-¤-

Jeff woke up with an unfamiliar scent in his nose, a warm, earthy scent that vaguely reminded him of Jared but still was so very different, fresh grass where Jared was summer-warmed hay. He could feel Jared watching him and when he lifted his head he saw his mate stretched out on the other side of Jensen, hazel eyes a mixture of warmth and confusion and Jeff wondered if the two of them shouldn't be more weirded out than they were. 

_We need breakfast_ Jeff pointed out, unmoving.

_He needs something warm, some real food,_ Jared pointed out and slowly he stood up, looking down at the sleeping form under the blankets. 

Jeff couldn't help but wonder about how Jensen's comfort seemed to be the main focus for the both of them. He wasn't surprised that Jared cared; for all the horrors they had seen, together and apart, his mate had always been one for caring more than he should but it was the first time he himself had cared since he first lay eyes on Jared. That thought made him feel guilty and he pushed away from Jensen, shifting even as he moved and when he was on two feet he made his way down to the riverbank, stepping naked into the water in hopes that the cold would clear his mind. He wasn't surprised when a body pressed up against him and he turned to wrap his arms around Jared, pulling him in for a kiss.

"He bothers you," Jared said and there was no hint of a question behind the words. 

"This is not how we do things," Jeff pointed out, feeling Jared's warm body slowly cool from the chill in the air and the harsh bite of the wind. 

Jared's lips closed over the pulse point of his neck, teeth biting down hard enough for his thoughts to shatter into sharp shards of brilliant pleasure and Jeff rolled his hips forward, cock slotting up next to Jared's and he heard his mate groan and arch into the touch. With Jensen soon likely to wake up they both knew they didn't have time to drag things out and Jeff wasn't surprised that Jared appeared just as eager as he himself was, tall, strong body pressing against him and even with the cold water against his skin Jeff knew that it wouldn't last long. But even when his own release pulsed into the water, only to quickly be washed away, even when Jared's fingers dug bruises into his skin, a small part of Jeff's mind was still with the man hopefully still sleeping on a makeshift bed of grass, leaves and blankets. 

-¤-

"I can't...fuck..."

Jeff saw Jensen struggling to get up and he crossed the distance between them, kneeling down beside Jensen and he reached out for the other were before his mind could fully catch up with what he was doing. Jensen flinched at the movement and Jeff wondered just how much pain the man had been dealt through the years. With the rapid healing of a werewolf there would be no scars to tell the story but Jeff thought he could see the scars in the haunted look of Jensen's eyes.

"I need to get up," Jensen snarled. 

"That's not a good..."

"I've been stretched out here since I woke up," Jensen said angrily. "I _need_ to get up."

After a moment’s hesitation, Jeff nodded and wrapped one arm around Jensen's waist to help him up and he was shocked by how very thin the man's body was. He knew he should have noticed when they treated the wounds, pulling bullets from flesh that had already been too red and too sore with the silver infection, but he hadn't given it a thought. With Jensen leaning against him, barely able to stand upright even with Jeff balancing him, it was obvious that even before he got hurt, Jensen couldn't have seen much in the way of food. That would have explained how he had dared to go deep into human territory for food when it was something even Jared and Jeff would have thought long before attempting.   
"Some things I can do myself," Jensen gritted out when they had managed to walk a bit into the forest.

Jeff wasn't sure that statement was very truthful but he did help Jensen lean against a tree before he walked a few yards away, putting some trees between them and he turned his back while Jensen did what his body demanded. 

"Okay," he heard Jensen say behind him. "I think...fuck..."

Turning around he saw Jensen sway, hands fumbling blindly against the tree trunk and Jeff ran towards him, barely in time to catch the other were when he collapsed on the ground.

"You stubborn son of a bitch," Jeff growled. "Let's get you back to bed and I'm sure Jared will be back soon with some fresh meat."

"I can stand," Jensen protested, pushing up to his feet but he didn't protest when Jeff wrapped one arm securely around the man's waist.

"Barely," Jeff said. "There's nothing shameful in asking for help."

He could feel the tension of Jensen's body, the line of his back and when he looked down he wasn't surprised to see him clenching his hands into fists. 

"I've managed for years," Jensen said quietly when they made their way back. "I'm not your charity case."

Before they had met and saved Jensen, Jeff would have called him precisely that; he would never have expected his mate to so easily make him accept another person into their lives, even if it was for a limited time frame. But lowering Jensen back down on his makeshift bed and pulling the blankets over him, he couldn't help but marvel over how _easy_ it was to care for Jensen, in a way it hadn't been easy since the first time he laid eyes on Jared. That thought made him flinch and he pulled away, quickly grabbing a few of their water bottles and making his way down to the river, ignoring the fact that he could feel Jensen's eyes on him the entire time, until he was out of sight. 

-¤-  
-¤-

Jensen sighed and closed his eyes when Jeff's back disappeared from sight as he followed the bend of the rocks they had set up camp against. It was a good place, one of those places Jensen had dreamt about when all there had been was the long stretch of desert and no water for days and days but this wasn't the way he wanted to be living in a place like this. He felt too vulnerable, too _dependant_ in a way he hadn't been in years. Not since he had been stupid enough to believe in a werewolf he had met in the wilderness, stupidly following him back to his pack in hope of maybe finding something worthwhile in a world that no longer made sense. 

He had no plans of putting his trust in strangers ever again, not even if they had saved his life. 

For all he knew, they might be planning to use him later on, if nothing else they knew his stealth, knew that he could steal from inside human cities and it wouldn't be the first time other weres had thought of taking advantage of that. And if that wasn't the plan, then he would find himself alone even faster. There was no doubt in his mind that as soon as his body was healed enough that he could get by, Jared and Jeff would be no more than soft fur and tails disappearing between the trees. 

Jensen Ackles didn't do pack, he had gotten by on his own so far and he was sure he could continue to get by when he was alone once more. He didn't need help from strangers who must see him as weak, vulnerable and wounded as he was. Jeff was proof of that, almost flinching away when he had to help Jensen in any way, something that was made worse by the fact that Jeff's touch felt good. Much better than it should have. Angrily he pushed those thoughts aside; it wouldn't do him any good to become attached, not to two werewolves who were so obviously wrapped in each other as these two were. 

"Where's Jeff?"

The voice startled Jensen and before he could even think about it he sat up, grabbing for the knife he usually always kept on him when in human form but of course there was no knife there, not when he was dressed in stolen human clothing, clothing that his saviors had handed him. The worry was pushed away by his own head spinning and for the first time he was actually grateful for being down on the ground because he was sure he would have passed out had he been standing up. As it was he allowed himself to lay back down, the ground strangely comforting beneath him.

"Jensen?"

He held up one hand, hoping Jared would understand and the next moment he felt the other were land a big hand on his shoulder, pressing him down like he thought Jensen had any urge to stand up.

"Hey, be careful, you can't move like that," Jared's voice rang through the fog in Jensen's mind. "The silver poisoning is still wreaking havoc."

"Right," Jensen gritted out through clenched teeth.

The last thing he wanted was the obvious concern in Jared's voice; he couldn't allow himself to get used to it. Not when it already felt too damn good to be close to others of his kind, when the ever-present scent of them lay heavy over the place they had put up camp.

"Fucking hate this," Jensen groaned, slowly blinking his eyes open again.

Jared was kneeling beside him, one hand still firm against Jensen's body and the other was fumbling for something behind him and he cursed low when he couldn't find it. 

"Where're the damn water bottles?" he mumbled, probably more to himself than to Jensen but that didn't stop him from getting an answer.

"Jeff took them," Jensen said and he wished the older were hadn't; he would kill for some water right about then. "Went down to the river."

"He left you alone?" Jared asked and there was a sharp edge to his words.

"I can manage on my own," Jensen pointed with something close to a snarl.

When he looked up at Jared the man didn't look angry, he just looked down at Jensen with so much calm that it made Jensen's skin crawl. He wished he could move away but before either of them could say anything Jeff came out through the woods and Jensen tried to not think about the fact that the direction Jeff came from meant that the man had roamed the woods because he wasn't coming from the river. Whatever had caused Jeff to pull away from him was obviously enough for the man to prefer roaming the woods to returning to camp and that was something Jensen didn't want to think about. Just more proof that it wouldn't do him good to get used to Jeff and Jared being around. 

"There you are," Jared said and stood up. The place where his hand had been resting felt cold when the air replaced the heat of Jared's skin. "I thought you'd gotten lost."

To Jensen's surprise there was a hint of annoyance in Jared's voice when he reached out to snag a water bottle before he came back to Jensen's side. When a big hand curled behind his head, pulling up enough that he would be able to drink when Jared put the bottle to his lips, Jensen tried to get annoyed, wanted to tell Jared that he didn't need to be babied but the first touch of water to his dry lips felt too good for protests. The water made some of the dizziness fade away but Jensen was still grateful when Jared eased him back down and he let his eyes drift shut, trying to not to think about how his entire body ached and burned, how he could feel the silver slowly getting pushed out of his system. 

"We needed water," Jeff said but he didn't say anything about Jensen, didn't even look down at him and Jensen longed for the day he would be able to get by on his own. Longed for it and dreaded it.

"Right," Jared said, mirroring the way Jensen had said the same word a few minutes earlier. 

Jensen couldn't figure out why, but there was a tension in the air, something that made him shift uncomfortably and something that made Jared and Jeff avoid looking at each other. Jeff dropped the bottles down on the ground and reached for the stack of food Jensen had managed to grab from the human town, rummaging through the cans and Jensen tried to not look at him. Tried to not think about the new kind of hurt, one that didn't come from external pain. 

"Do you often steal from humans?" Jared asked, settling down next to Jensen and leaning back against the cliff beside him 

"Define _often_ ," Jensen said with a shrug. "I do what I have to; they always stockpile much more than they need. I just take it off their hands."

"They can stockpile," Jeff muttered from his corner. "They had most of the towns when things went down the drain and that meant supermarkets. They have a lot of things we can't get to."

There was a quick glance between the other two men, something that made Jared snort for the merest second before they both burst out laughing and Jensen looked between them and for the first time he truly felt like he was on the outside, looking in through a window at something he could never have. It didn't help when neither of them even tried to explain, instead changing the subject to how at least werewolves could hunt but Jensen had stopped listening and soon he drifted off into sleep. 

-¤-  
-¤-

"What are we going to do with him?" Jeff asked quietly, looking back over his shoulder to where Jensen was sleeping, curled in on himself in what was most likely both pain and cold. 

"He's strong," Jared answered, but he wasn't sure if he meant it as an answer or as an excuse for doing what he was sure they would do when Jensen had healed up. 

Jensen didn't belong with them and even though Jared didn't know why it was obvious that the other werewolf had caused friction between him and Jeff, something that hadn't been there for years. Living together as closely as they had since they had found each other, he thought he knew all there was to know about his mate, yet something had changed in the week since they found Jensen, a tension in Jeff's shoulders and a hard glint in his eyes. There was no way to miss how Jeff barely spoke to Jensen, how he spent most of the time across from the campfire or roaming the woods to make sure that no humans had managed to find their trail. But there was something else there as well: a tenderness to the way he treated Jensen's wounds and a closeness when he allowed Jensen to lean on him when the man managed to walk. It didn't fit together into a coherent picture and Jared didn't know what to do with it, wasn't sure he was reading Jeff right anymore. 

"He's been alone for ten years," Jeff said. "Most lone wolves would have died in that time."

"Would you?" Jared asked.

He knew that Jeff had never planned on meeting him, that whatever bond had formed between them had come as a surprise to Jeff as well as Jared. It wasn't the first time he had wondered what would have happened to Jeff had they not met. 

"There's no need to think of that," Jeff said, looking up from where he was working with needle and thread to make their clothes hold together a bit longer.

Jensen had said they could have some of the clothes he had stolen and they had gratefully accepted the offer; clothes were almost harder than food to come by. Too much of the cloth left behind by the now long-dead had been destroyed by mold, moths and neglect in the last ten years. The fact that neither he nor Jeff was small in any way didn't help either and Jared was pleased with his new t-shirt and pants, even if Jeff had to work his magic to cover up the holes caused by the two bullets that had hit Jensen. 

"What will happen to him?" Jared asked, eyes sliding back over to Jensen's sleeping form.

He could hear Jeff shift behind him and when he looked around he saw his mate put away what he was working on, blinking a few times to soothe his eyes that must been hurting from being bent over the clothes in the flickering light from the fire. 

"He's a good thief," Jeff said with a shrug and stood up. "I'm sure he'll manage until he finds someone to travel with."

Jared glared at his mate but Jeff didn't look at him, instead he fed the fire a few more twigs before he stripped out of his clothes and folded them up neatly a secure distance from what stray embers might find their way from the hearth. Watching Jeff undress never failed to make Jared's mouth go dry and he swallowed thickly, taking in his mate's strong body, lean muscles and the dark hairs covering his torso. Despite the hint of annoyance at how matter-of-factly his mate discarded Jared's concern, he couldn't stop his body from reacting to the stretch of muscle playing out in front of him. Jeff seemed unaware and without a word he shifted into his wolf and with one quick glance towards the sleeping man he lay down as far from him as possible while still being in the warm circle around the fire. Questions were squirming in his mind but they got pushed aside when Jared suddenly realized what Jeff had done; for the first time since they had saved Jensen, his mate had chosen to not go lay down beside Jensen to warm him up and Jared didn't know quite how to respond to that. 

His place was with Jeff, just as it had been since the first day they met, and yet Jared felt bad for not walking over to Jensen to make sure the wounded man was warm. Jeff had never before forced him to choose and Jared hated the half a second that he actually did hesitate before he transformed and walked to lay down next to his mate.

_Do you hate him?_ he asked, safe in the knowledge that even if he woke up Jensen would not be able to hear them when he was in his human form. 

Jeff went still beside him, the only movement that of a breeze ruffling his fur before he leaned in and fit his muzzle under Jared's, pressing them close enough that all Jared could smell was the rich scent of his mate, filling his sensitive nose with the familiar scent that meant _home_ and _safe_ and if some part of him noticed the lack of Jensen's scent, that was something he would not be thinking about.

_No,_ Jeff spoke quietly. _If I hated him this would be easy_.

They lay silent for several long minutes, Jeff rubbing his nose against Jared with a level of intimacy that they hadn't shared in a long time. It was the longest they had spent in one place in over a year and Jared knew that under normal circumstances they would have spent a lot of time naked, wrapped up in each other until everything else faded away. Instead their world had narrowed down to the small camp, and one wounded werewolf who seemed to affect the both of them for some unknown reason.

_He'll be healed soon enough,_ Jared said but he didn't know who that was supposed to be good for; them or Jensen. _Things will go back to normal._

Jeff didn't respond and Jared didn't know what to make of that.

-¤-

"I've spent enough time like this," Jensen snarled. "Now let me the fuck up."

Jared was just about to growl another protest when he big hand landed low on his back, a soothing touch that made the words die in his throat and when he looked back over his shoulder Jeff gave the smallest shake of his head before he turned to Jensen.

"If you pass out again and bust your head open on a rock, that's on you," he said gruffly. 

The response he got for that was Jensen's upper lip rising to show off his teeth in a gesture that was pure wolf, not matter his human shape and without another word the man pushed himself up, wobbling slightly before he got his balance back. Jared saw Jensen pale slightly and for a moment he wondered if Jeff would be right about his assumption that Jensen would pass out but instead the other were took a deep breath before he turned his back towards them and followed the curve of the rock down to the riverbank. Jared and Jeff remained where they were and when Jared pressed back slightly he could feel the bulge of Jeff's half-hard dick against his ass, something that was enough for his breath to hitch and he turned around to face his mate and their mouths slammed together in a kiss that was deep enough for Jared to be left breathless and with tingling lips. 

"Told you he'd be okay," Jeff said when he pulled back. "And you know what that means?"

"We can fuck again?" Jared asked with a small grin that was met by a matching one on his mate's face. 

Jeff's answer was a rumbling growl and the next moment Jared found himself slammed up hard against the unforgiving rock, knowing that he would have bruises to show for it but not caring one bit. He knew they should go down to the river, should keep an eye on Jensen but with Jeff kissing him like he was the center of the universe, Jared couldn't find it in himself to move. It didn't help that he knew that Jensen wanted to get into the river to clean up and Jared had enough wrong feelings when it came to Jensen without seeing him naked and wet.

"Come," Jeff said as he pulled away. "We need to make sure he doesn't drown, or something."

Jared groaned, willing his hardness to go away but he knew that his mate was right and he followed Jeff between the trees until they reached the riverbank, and if he stumbled slightly at the sight that met him there, he really didn't think he could be blamed for it. Jensen stood out in the river, water covering him up to his waist and his skin was glistening wet, hair clinging to his head and Jared felt guilty for noticing how the cold water had turned Jensen's nipples hard. Beside him he heard Jeff pull in a sharp breath and he realized that maybe he wasn't alone with his guilty thoughts, maybe his mate was right there with him.

"I can clean myself without supervision," Jensen snapped when he saw the two of them standing there, watching him.

"We know," Jeff said, taking a small step closer to Jared. 

Jensen's eyes narrowed for a second before he walked out of the water and Jared couldn't stop himself from letting his gaze drop down, trailing down over the narrow hips and strong thighs and the place where Jensen's soft cock rested against reddish curls. Even with the scars from the silver bullets still angrily red on his skin, he was a beautiful sight to take in and for the first time in years Jared found himself truly aroused without Jeff being the focus of his attentions.

"I think I'll be able to be on my own now," Jensen said without looking at them, reaching for the worn, old towel they had handed him. "I'll be leaving tomorrow, if there's some food you could give me."

"Of course," Jared agreed. "A lot of it is your food to begin with, and we're grateful you've shared it with us."

Jensen nodded and dried himself off and Jared could see him shiver slightly before he reached for his clothes and pulled them on, the cloth sticking slightly to his-still damp skin.

"It was...nothing," Jensen said but he still didn't look at either of them, his gaze locked on the ground as he walked past them and headed back towards the camp.

There was something in his voice that made Jared want to speak, but Jeff's hand wrapped around his wrist, holding him in place and they watched in silence as Jensen disappeared between the trees.

"This is what you wanted," Jared said quietly, making sure that there was no way that Jensen could hear them. 

"It's not what you want," Jeff said and Jared didn't even think to protest, instead he turned to face his mate.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

He barely knew what he asked forgiveness for, whatever feelings he had for Jensen it was nothing he would ever act upon.

"It's supposed to only be us," Jeff said softly. "It's been only us for years but dammit... Jensen is..."

He drifted off into silence and Jared looked up at him, taking in the look of Jeff's face and suddenly he realized that he truly wasn't alone in what he was feeling. 

-¤-  
-¤-

Jensen looked down at his worn, old backpack and the few clothes he had packed into it already and then he glanced over at the pile he was leaving for Jared and Jeff. It was the clothes the men had been wearing while they took care of him and Jensen didn't want to take any of those clothes with him, didn't need things to remind him of what he was about to lose. 

"Have you packed everything already?"

He spun around and saw Jared and Jeff standing at the edge of the small clearing in front of the cave, both of them with gazes firmly locked on him. 

"Only clothes," Jensen answered with a small shrug. "Figured we could go through the food together."

"We should have a good meal now, together," Jeff said and Jensen watched as he took a step closer to Jared and wrapped one strong arm around his waist for the briefest moment before he walked over to where they stored their food and knelt down to rummage through tins and strips of dried meat. 

"The last supper?" Jensen asked and he couldn't manage to hold back the bitterness.

Jeff looked up at him then and Jensen's breath caught in his throat when he saw something in the man's eyes that he had never seen there before. It was something he had seen somewhere else before though, but in eyes half hidden behind too-long hair and when Jensen turned to look at Jared he saw the same thing in his eyes. It was everything Jensen had never dared to hope for, something he had given up when the world collapsed, when cities burned and nations fell. But the fact that he now got it from two people, and two people who were involved with each other, just meant that there was even less chance of him actually getting to keep it all. 

"Jeff," Jared said and despite the low tone of his voice, it was enough to make all three of them jump. 

Jensen stood frozen in place as the other two werewolves looked at each other, volumes spoken with just a look and Jensen felt more left out than he had since they started taking care of him. He waited, expecting one of them to make the first move only to realize that if something would happen, he wanted it to be _his_ choice, needed to be the one in control. 

He already knew he would only have one night, a few hours before the sun would rise and it would be time for him to leave, to say goodbye for good. If that was the case, then Jensen would make it last. 

Pulling in on deep breath he took one step closer to where Jared had walked up to Jeff's side, the two of them standing looking at Jensen with want and need in their eyes. He knew his hands were shaking but it didn't stop him from moving forward, not stopping until he was close enough to feel the warmth of their bodies radiating against him. 

"You want this?" he asked, looking from Jeff to Jared and then back at Jeff again. "You want me?"

Instead of an answer he found himself wrapped in two set of arms and a mouth descended on his, claiming him and only when he felt rough stubble against his face did he know for sure that it was Jeff who was kissing him. He could feel Jared fit up against his back, bodies molded together and Jensen felt all doubts fade away as he arched back into Jared's grip on him, his lips already tingling with the bruising kisses Jeff pressed to his lips.

One night, that was all he had.

-¤-  
-¤-

Jensen tasted warm, rich, and Jeff couldn't get enough of his mouth. His nose was filled with the combined scent of Jared and Jensen and it was enough to have his cock hard and leaking already and he pulled a soft moan from Jensen's lips when he rocked his hips forward. When his hands fell down to Jensen's hips, he was met by Jared's familiar hands and with fingers tangled together they pushed their hands up under Jensen's shirt. Jeff knew he would never been able to do what he did if not for having Jared right there with him, had barely dared to admit to himself the kind of feelings that Jensen stirred inside him.

A shiver ran through Jensen when their fingers brushed over the almost-healed scar tissue where the silver bullet had hit and Jeff surprised by the surge of protective emotions that welled up inside him. He had tried to be annoyed by Jensen's presence, to not care about him at all, but it was all too obvious how much he had failed at that when Jensen's hands gripped his shoulders and the man pulled them even closer. 

If not for clothes being something hard to come by, Jeff would have torn the clothes off all three of them, not caring about cloth ripping, but instead he forced himself to slowly pull Jensen's shirt off, groaning when he had to abandon Jensen's lips for the first time. The groan turned into a rumbling moan when Jared took the opportunity to spin Jensen around and kiss him hard, big hands coming up to frame the man's face. 

"So hot," Jeff mumbled

It was the truth. While his mate never failed to take his breath away, and even though he had guiltily accepted that Jensen was attractive, it was nothing compared to watching the two of them together, slick slide of lips and strong bodies pressed close. Jensen's skin had gained some color in the time he had spent resting, grabbing what little sunlight there was, and Jeff let his gaze trail down over strong, freckled shoulders and the firm expanse of the man's back. Jensen's pants hung low enough that Jeff thought the only thing holding them up must be the curve of his ass, a curve that Jeff _needed_ to get his hands on.

"No doubts?" he heard Jared ask.

"Let me have this," Jensen answered quickly. "I need it...the both of you..."

That was all Jeff needed to hear and he fell down on his knees behind Jensen, tugging his jeans down to reveal a perfectly rounded ass, skin much paler there, and Jeff bent forward to let his tongue touch the very top of the cleft in front of him. Once more he felt Jensen shiver but he didn't move away, instead he arched back against Jeff and that was enough to make a low, pleased sound rumble in his chest. 

"Do it," he heard Jared order and the next moment big hands came down to palm Jensen's ass cheeks. "Taste him."

Jared spread Jensen open for Jeff, presenting him with the tightly-furled skin of the were's asshole and Jeff wasted no time ingetting his tongue on warm skin. He could still taste the river on Jensen's skin, a cleanness to it, but underlying that was the warm and dark taste of Jensen and just as with his scent the way he tasted was close to Jared, and yet so very distinctive. 

"Fuck," Jensen groaned above him. "You two...."

He didn't get out more than that and a quick glance up told him that Jared had claimed his mouth again, hands still firm on the man's ass. Jeff licked Jensen with broad swipes of his tongue, getting the skin wet and when he felt Jensen relax slightly he pushed the tip of his tongue against the hole and was rewarded with it opening to let him in. Jensen's hips were rocking back and forth, pushing himself back on Jeff's tongue only to push himself forward to rub against Jared and Jeff wanted to keep him like that for hours, pinned between them and overwhelmed with pleasure. 

Tonguing Jensen's hole he made sure to get it wet and relaxed before he pushed one finger inside, pressing his tongue inside along with it and Jensen trembled as a guttural groan fell from his lips.

"Like that?" he heard Jared ask. "Like his tongue in you, working you open?"

"Stop talking," Jensen growled. "Don't need you to...talk..."

Had Jeff not been so busy tasting Jensen from the inside he might have commented on that because if there was one thing that Jared didn't do very well it was keeping quiet. 

"Talk," Jeff breathed out against the swell of Jensen's ass. "I wanna hear..."

He let his teeth bite down on the flesh in front him, smiling when Jensen cried out at the same time as more words started falling from Jared's lips. 

"Gonna taste you all over, mark you up. Anyone will be able to smell us on you, know just what things we'll have done to you. Lick you open, spread you wide open for us so we can fuck you. And you'll love it, won't you? Love taking us both."

Jeff knew Jared must have figured out this thing between them sooner than Jeff had, was sure that his mate had been longing to whisper filth in Jensen's ear and even though a small part of thought he should be jealous, that was not the way Jeff felt. Instead it was arousal that filled him, a deep want that he couldn't quite make sense of. He wasn't even sure what he wanted most; to fuck Jensen until he could barely stand, or to watch as Jared pressed inside. 

"Your lips," Jared groaned. "Fuck, Jen, your mouth. Made for kissing, for claiming until your lips are all bruised with it and even when I stop you'll still feel the ghost of my lips on you."

Jeff let his tongue travel from the dip of Jensen's spin down the cleft of his ass, tongue circling the rim before he pulled back and kissed his way up Jensen's back, tracing the hard expanse of muscles until he was standing with his chest against Jensen's back, hard cock pressing up against a rounded ass through a too-rough layer of clothing.

"Jay..."

His mate tore himself away from Jensen's lips when Jeff spoke his name and he saw pure lust and need darkening hazel eyes. 

"Jeff..." Jared breathed out as he leaned in to press their lips together. 

Kissing with Jensen's body between them added an edge to the kiss that had never been there before and Jeff let his hands roam over Jensen's naked skin, stroking down over his hips even as Jared's tongue tangled with his. He felt Jensen's hand land on his thigh, tips of his fingers pressing down hard enough to bruise and Jeff loved the strength in both the men in front of him, the knowledge that they both would be able to take whatever he wanted to give them. And that they would be able to give back just as much in return. 

-¤-  
-¤-

With Jeff's tongue against his and Jensen's strong body pressed up against him, Jared found it hard to focus on anything that wasn't pleasure and the bone-deep arousal that was burning him up from inside. He had accepted his feelings for Jensen, the attraction that had been sizzling in the camp for days, but it was so much better than he could ever have expected and he knew that was because he had Jeff right there with him, Jeff's lips against his as they both let their hands roam over Jensen's warm skin.

Letting his hands travel from Jensen's side, a soft touch that had the man shivering beneath the tips of his fingers, he once more took a firm grip on globes of Jensen's ass, grinding against him in an almost desperate search for friction. Then he felt the hard line of Jeff's cock against his hands and he groaned as he fumbled in the limited space between them, finally managing to get Jeff's cock free. He heard Jensen gasp as the hard length of Jeff's dick pressed against his ass and he felt Jeff's hips snap forward, riding the cleft of Jensen's ass and painting his skin with pre-come. Pulling his hands away from Jeff's cock he instead spread Jensen wide once more but this time he allowed himself to touch Jensen, to let his fingers trail over the spit-slick rim of his ass and he smiled against Jeff's lips when he felt the man arch back into the touch. 

With one last swipe of his tongue Jared pulled away from Jeff's mouth, instead he licked a strip up Jensen's neck at the same time that he slid one finger into his body and he heard Jeff growl deep in his throat when Jensen trembled between them.

"Jesus...fuck..." Jensen got out and his voice sounded rougher than Jared had ever heard it before. 

"Jeff, we need slick," Jared said, looking over Jensen's shoulder at his mate. 

Jeff stilled for a moment but then he nodded, and stepping out of his now discarded jeans, Jared watched as Jeff made his way toward the bag where they stored the little jar that hadn't been used since they found Jensen. Jensen looked back over his shoulder, confusion clear on his face, and Jared smiled when he saw Jeff open the container and spread the thick, clear liquid over his fingers. 

"Kiss him," Jeff ordered as he stepped up behind Jensen again 

Jared wasted no time before he obeyed the command, claiming Jensen's mouth in a deep, hungry kiss and he swallowed up the man's moan when Jeff pushed one slick finger inside, right next to Jared's and together they started working Jensen open. His own cock was hard enough that it hurt, sensitive skin pressing against the rough fabric of his pants and he groaned in pleasure when Jensen let go of his death grip on Jared's shoulders, instead trailing strong hands down until he could tug at Jared's pants, pushing them down until he could get one hand between them and wrap his fingers around Jared's hard dick. 

"Think you're ready," he gasped against Jensen's soft lips. "Think you can take him?"

He didn't know exactly why, but there was no doubt in his mind that Jeff should be the first one to slide into the warm heat of Jensen's body, claim him just as he had claimed Jared so many years before. While he knew they were equals in all that mattered, his wolf still bowed down to Jeff's and he could see the same easy submission in the way Jensen just moaned and spread his legs wide. 

"Please," Jensen gasped out, but even with the obvious pleasure Jared could feel a tension in Jensen's body. "Need it..."

Jared let one hand curl over Jeff's hip, pulling him forward and his mate moved willingly, fitting himself up against Jensen and he groaned when Jared aligned his cock with Jensen's wet and open hole, keeping a grip on the shaft while Jeff slowly pushed forward, sliding inside Jensen. He gasped and thrust his hips forward when Jensen's fist clenched tighter around his cock and a deep moan left him when Jeff started moving, each thrust of his hips pushing Jensen forward against Jared's body. Jensen's lips were on his again, heated kisses that were punctuated by small moans when Jeff picked up speed and started fucking Jensen hard and deep. 

With one last swipe of his tongue over Jensen's lips, Jared pulled back slightly because he _needed_ to see the pleasure on Jensen' face, need to see the way Jeff leaned forward and bit bruise into Jensen's neck as he worked them all closer and closer to orgasm. Jensen's hair was dark with sweat, his skin flushed pink with arousal and when Jeff slid one arm around Jensen's torso, pulling him back on his cock, Jared couldn't stop himself from sliding down on his knees in front of Jensen and wrapping his lips around the man's dick. Jensen's cry rang out sharp, echoing against the cliff behind them and the woods stretching out around them and Jared coughed when another hard thrust of Jeff's hips had Jensen sliding even further into Jared's mouth. The only cock Jared had ever tested before was Jeff's and he was taken back slightly by how very different Jensen tasted, a much softer taste on his tongue and Jared realized that the taste of Jensen's pre-come on his tongue perfectly matched Jensen's fresh scent. 

-¤-  
-¤-

Jensen’s entire world had narrowed down to the feel of Jeff's hard cock pushing inside him, and the tight wetness of Jared's mouth on him. The doubt was still there, in the very back of his mind, but Jensen pushed it aside, didn't want to think of anything other than what he had right there in that moment. With both Jared and Jeff focusing on him he didn't feel lonely, he felt cared for and he might even allow himself to imagine, if only for a few moments, that he was loved. 

"Damn, you're hot," Jeff groaned into his ear, deep voice making shivers run down Jensen's spine. "The way you feel around my cock, can feel you squeeze me so fucking tight. Is it good, Jensen? Me fucking you while Jared sucks that pretty dick of yours all the way down?"

As a response to Jeff's words, Jared did just that and Jensen cried out again when he felt the head of his cock brush the back of Jared's throat, the amazing tightness and heat of Jared swallowing around him. Jeff's arm around him was the only thing that kept Jensen standing up, that and the one hand he had tangled in the long strands of Jared's hair. He could already feel his orgasm building inside him, a deep warmth that shot through him, coiling around his spine and rising higher and higher with each brutal snap of Jeff's hips. There was a slight burn there; it had been a long time since Jensen had relaxed enough to let anyone fuck him, but the discomfort was easily outweighed by the dual sensation of the two men working his body. It was so much more than Jensen would ever have expected, pleasure unlike anything he had experienced before and a part of him wished he could feel the both of them at the same time, spreading him wider than he had ever been before. 

That thought, combined with Jared's hot tongue sliding over the sensitive vein on the underside of his cock at the same time that Jeff slammed into him again, cock brushing right over Jensen's prostate, was enough to make Jensen cry out as his whole body shook with the intense pleasure of his orgasm. He could feel Jared swallow around him, throat working around him as Jensen pulsed hot come right down the man's throat. 

"Yeah, fuck, just like that," Jeff groaned and he fucked Jensen even harder, making his orgasm drag out impossibly long until Jensen thought his legs might be giving way beneath him. "Your ass, so fucking tight. Swallow, Jay, let me know how good he feels on your tongue. Suck him, every drop of him."

Jensen shook between them, trembling when Jared kept on sucking his cock even when he had nothing more to give and his cock gave a valiant throb when he looked down only to find Jared licking the stray drops of come from his lips as he worked his own cock with one hand. 

"Come for me, Jay," Jeff demanded. "Wanna see you come with him still on your tongue. Wanna fill him up with you moaning around his cock."

The intense pleasure had Jensen almost sobbing, skin over-sensitized and when Jared threw his head back, cock pulsing in his grip, Jensen felt Jeff go still behind him, cock buried deep inside Jensen's body and he could feel each pulse of hot come slicking up his insides and Jensen felt his legs go weak under the onslaught of emotions. 

"Fucking..hell..." he heard Jeff groan and he felt the brush of the man's lips against his shoulder. "That was...."

He didn't finish the sentence; instead he made them both hiss when he shifted away and his cock slid free from Jensen's body with a wet sound. The feel of Jeff's come running down his thighs was enough to pull Jensen back to the reality and suddenly he was very aware of just where he was and just what he had done. Nothing was made better when Jeff and Jared once more kissed over his shoulder and Jensen squeezed his eyes shut, didn't want to see the obvious love between the two men. Until that moment he had felt like a part of it, like he belonged there, but he knew that was just an illusion. A lone wolf did not belong with a mated couple and even while Jared pulled him down on the ground and Jeff fitted himself up against Jensen's back, one arm reaching over Jensen's naked body to grab Jared's hip, Jensen was already planning the best way to leave. 

The thought was enough to make his insides twist unpleasantly, a dull ache that he hadn't felt in years and Jensen cursed the fact that he had already become addicted to the other two weres. That he had already fallen even when he had told himself not to. 

It was time to leave. 

-¤-  
-¤-

Jared woke up with Jeff's breath warm at the top of his head, something so deeply familiar that Jared almost drifted back off to sleep before he realized that something was wrong. While it was a familiar position to find himself in, it wasn't how he had fallen asleep. When sleep had claimed him, he had drifted off with Jensen's warm body pressed perfectly between his and Jeff's and that realization was enough for Jared's eyes to snap open at the same time that Jeff pulled away and sat up, staring down at Jared.

"Guess we should've seen that one coming," Jeff said, voice still rough with sleep. 

"Maybe," Jared admitted with a sigh. "I just figured...maybe he'd feel the same. We can go after him. Jeff, we..."

He fell silent at the look on his mate's face and swallowed down the rest of the sentence, he knew what Jeff didn't have to say. Jensen had left, and no matter how much Jared hated it, he had to respect the man's choice. 

"We got to have him once," Jeff said. "He obviously wasn't prepared to give us more than that."

Jared nodded and got up from the nest of blankets that still smelled of the three of them, a scent that Jared wanted to forget all about, or maybe keep with him forever. He really wasn't sure what would be best. Neither of them said a word as Jeff went through their supplies and Jared frowned when he realized how little Jensen had taken with him, even though he had been the one to acquire it all. When Jeff prepared their breakfast Jared sat down close to him, their shoulders brushing. 

Throughout the day they both sought out the contact, touching more than they had since Jensen had been with them and Jared was sure they were making up for lost time, but it also felt like they tried to soothe away the obvious emptiness in the camp with each not-really-casual brush of hands, each time they stopped to trade kisses or each time Jeff let his hand rest in the small of Jared's back. It wasn't until well in the afternoon that Jeff said what had been building in Jared's mind since they woke up. 

"It's time to leave."

"I know," Jared agreed simply as he looked around the camp. 

It was a good place for them,had been an even better place for Jensen to re-gain his health but Jared felt a need to move on. They had already stayed longer than they would have if not for Jensen, and with the man long gone, Jared didn't feel anything connecting him to the place anymore. 

"Where you wanna go?" Jeff asked, settling down cross-legged on the ground.

"North," Jared answered without thinking about it. "I don't care about the cold, I just need to get away from humans for a while."

Jeff nodded his agreement and they both knew that the very best way to avoid humans would be to head into Canada's wilderness, an area mostly abandoned by humans and werewolves alike. And he was sure that Jeff was just as aware as he was that they had grown too relaxed in the place they were staying, at least one of them should have woken up when Jensen got up and left but they had been sleeping through it all and that just wasn't acceptable. It might very well be the death of them. 

"North it is," Jeff said and started going through the items that Jensen had left them. 

Jared just watched Jeff working, putting things into the specially-made bag that they could carry in their wolf forms and he wondered if they would actually be able to take it all. He hated the thought of leaving something behind that Jensen obviously had wanted them to have. With one heavy sigh he grabbed their water bottles and went down to the river to fill them up. He pushed away the feeling of wrongness that Jensen's departure had engulfed him in, instead focusing on the deep, rich fragrances of the forest around him and the clean scent of the river, hoping they would drown out the urge to go after Jensen.

He had a mate waiting for him back in the camp, a mate he loved and _needed_ so Jensen leaving shouldn't affect him the way it did. It was something he had to get over.

-¤-  
-¤-

Winter was already approaching, a sharp sting in the air that told Jeff that the first snow would be there any day and he tried to not think about the snow washing away any chance of Jensen tracking them down. It had been five days since the werewolf had left them, five days since they had packed their things and headed north and Jeff could see that it had affected his mate as much as it had himself.

He hadn't expected it, even when he gave in to the desire and pushed inside Jensen he had still thought it would be something fun to share, maybe something that could last for a while but he had never expected the lingering feeling of loss that refused to fade away. Even with Jared pressed close to him, nuzzling in under his chin, he couldn't stop himself from thinking something was missing and he was sure Jared felt it as well. With a sigh he shifted and when the movement almost woke his mate up he licked a soothing stripe over his mate's neck and head until Jared stilled again, sleep pulling him down once more. He caught himself wondering if maybe he hadn't misjudged the thing with Jensen, causing the three of them pain that maybe wouldn't have been there had they not given in to the attraction that had built up between them. 

He lay awake for hours, listening to the stillness of dead plains around them and he wished they could've found a better place to stay for the night, a place that wasn't the middle of nowhere. He felt like he had barely slept at all when Jared's voice pulled him from sleep. 

"We need to get moving."

Jeff got up on all fours and stretched out his lean wolf body for a moment before he let the change flood through him and he could stand up to face his mate. 

"Why so eager to move?" he grumbled, sleep still weighing him down. 

"There's something out there," Jared said quietly and that was enough to make Jeff go from half asleep to wide awake within seconds and he moved quickly, reaching for the bag that Jared had already prepared.

"What did you see?" Jeff asked, adjusting the straps of the bag for his own body.

Jared's eyes narrowed as he stared against the far away horizon and even though Jeff couldn't see anything, he trusted his mate without a second’s hesitation.

"A shadow in the distance," Jared said. "And it's getting closer."

That was all Jeff needed to hear and he shifted quickly, barely able to stand still while Jared put the bag in place before he shifted as well and they both were in motion before the ground Jeff had slept on had lost the warmth of his body. 

_Run!"_

Jared didn't respond but they were both running as fast as they could, paws heavy against the ground and Jeff didn't turn around once, all too focused on getting him and his mate somewhere safe and he ignored the metallic taste of adrenaline on his tongue.

_Jeff, we need to find a place to rest._

He knew that Jared was right, but the very thought of stopping then felt wrong, even after hours on the move, running for all that they were worth, he wanted to keep moving. 

_Jeff!_

The strain in Jared's voice was what did it for him and he slowed down his steps, turning to look behind him even though he knew he would see nothing but the trees now that they had finally managed to wooded hills. 

_Down here,_ he answered and led them through a barely-there path until they heard the sound of moving water.

For a moment he was taken back in time to the days before they had found Jensen, and the calmness of having found such a perfect place to put up camp. It wouldn't be like that this time around, he could tell when they stopped by the river. It wasn't as easily defendable but it was better than the open plains had been. 

_We need to eat, Jeff,_ Jared said. _Whatever that was back there, we must have lost it._

Jeff hoped that his mate was right, but he also knew they didn't really have a choice; neither of them would last long without at least a little food or water considering they hadn't had time to eat anything for breakfast before they had fled. 

_What did it look like?_ Jeff asked as he leaned down to lap at the cold water, drinking it down until some of the burn in his lungs were gone 

_Shadow,_ Jared said and changed form to help Jeff with the bag. "I couldn't see more than that, but it was coming straight for us, like it knew we were there."

"Fuck," Jeff groaned and stood up to stretch his aching muscles before he reached into the bag for some strips of dried meat. "Here, it's not much but it's the best we can do. We need some rest before we keep moving."

Jared nodded and took the meat from his hand, taking a bite from it before he reached for one of the water bottles. Even with an unknown threat somewhere out there, Jeff couldn't stop himself from admiring his mate, miles of muscles playing under tanned skin and he hoped they would find a good place soon. He needed to be with his mate again. The loss of Jensen had hurt something between them but Jeff would be damned if he lost Jared as well, that just wasn't an option. 

"Jeff," Jared said suddenly and Jeff looked up from his mate's body to his face.

"Yeah?" 

"I think we messed up."

Jeff frowned at that even though he was quite sure that he knew what Jared was talking about and when Jared went on he had his confirmation. 

"We shouldn't have let him go. I mean, look at us," he said with a wide swipe of his arm. "If he was still here..."

"He didn't want to be here," Jeff snapped. "He had the opportunity to stay and he left. It was his choice."

Jared's gaze flickered away for a moment but when he looked up there was a stubborn set to his jaw that Jeff knew all too well. 

"So we get him to choose again," Jared said. 

"How?" Jeff snapped. "You think I haven't thought about that? We're days away from him, and you can be sure that he knows how to cover his tracks. If he don't wanna be found, we'll not be able to find him no matter how much we look for him."

"Do you wanna look for him?" Jared asked and Jeff remained silent. "Because I think you do. I think you feel it as much as I do, he's out there somewhere and he shouldn't be. He should be with us."

"Werewolves don't mate like that," Jeff snapped. "You know as well as I do that we mate in pairs, the two of us, that's the way it…"

"Was, before everything," Jared interrupted angrily and his voice rang out too loud in the stillness around them, Jeff knew that. "This is now, this is the world we live in and how can we just abandon a werewolf that needs us? That is all we have now, each other so I say fuck what werewolves _used_ to do. It's not the same anymore and you know it. You are my mate, and I love you. But Jensen? He belongs here as well. We need to find him!"

Jeff was just about to tell Jared to quiet down before he alerted anyone or anything to their position, when a sudden breeze brought a familiar scent to his nose and both he and Jared spun around to find the source of it. 

-¤-  
-¤-

The dead plains gave way to trees, a greenness that held promises of game to be found and fresh water to cut through the landscape somewhere in between the rise and falls of the hills. He hardly knew how long he had travelled, the days blurring together, but he had been so sure he had seen them out there in the nothingness but all he had found was a place on the ground that still held their scent even though they were both gone. 

Jensen started to think that maybe they didn't want to be found because no matter how hard he pushed himself, he couldn't catch up with them and it was slowly driving him insane. He almost stumbled through the woods, his nose following the scent of the two men that he had been following since he gave up on being alone. And wasn't that just perfect: he finally realized that he needed to be with someone, needed to be with Jared and Jeff, only to find the campground abandoned when he tried to return to them. Of course they wouldn't have stayed, he was sure they had only stayed so long in one place in order to take care of him, but it was a daunting task trying to find them. His paws ached from all the running he had done and he cursed the fact that it had taken him two full days to realize how stupid he had been, two days that they had on him and he wondered if he would ever be able to find them. 

He just wanted some water and rest before he would go back to following the impossible dream. This time he refused to give up on what he wanted. He didn't even care about how, just cared about finding them again.

Suddenly he was ripped from his thoughts when he heard raised voices and he felt his heart pick up speed when he realized just what it was he was hearing. So close, he couldn't believe they were so close and all his tiredness was forgotten as he took off running in the direction of the voices. He was happy that a light breeze rustled through the trees, like it was trying to help carry him forward and he barely stopped in time when he broke through the trees and found himself face to face with Jared and Jeff.

The men were both naked, glorious skin for him to take in and he could see the shock clear on their faces. It was only then that he realized it was the first time they had seen him in his wolf form and he dropped the bag he had been carrying in his mouth, the sound of it loud in the silence. 

"Jensen?"

It was Jared that spoke first, taking a step forward, but it was Jeff that reached him first and before Jensen could even think of shifting he was surrounded by two set of arms for the briefest moment before he had two wolves pressed up against him. Their bodies felt familiar against him, warm fur that filled his nose with the most delicious of scents and Jensen let out a trembling breath.

_I found you_ , he said, not even sure they would be able to hear him, only pack members heard each other. 

_Of course you did._ Jeff's voice rang out in his mind, strong and grounding.

_You came back to us._ Jared added and his voice sounded impossibly happy. 

For some reason Jensen found it easier to talk in his wolf form, and he wished he would have dared to talk to them before he left.

_I know you're mates,_ he said, unable to stop the affectionate nuzzling. _I don't wanna come between that but... I need this. And maybe, you need me as well?_

It was a lot to ask for, he already knew that, but all the werewolves did was press even closer before Jeff shifted back to human once more and Jared followed his move. Jensen hesitated for a moment but then he allowed himself to shift and stand up, facing the two men who meant so much to him. 

"In the old days," Jeff started. "Before the fall of the world, before big weapons that end cities, there was a legend that saving a werewolf's life will bind you to them, and them to you. I never believed it."

Jensen didn't dare to speak, not when they were both moving close to him again and he felt strong hands roam over his naked skin. He had heard about the legend as well, never considered it to be more than a tale to tell werecubs when they woke up with nightmares. 

"I don't believe it now either," Jeff went on. "It's not something out of our control; it was just something we were too stubborn to understand. You choose us as mates, and we choose you. It's the way it's supposed to be and if it's two or three of us, who's supposed to tell us it's wrong?"

With those words he pulled Jensen in for a deep kiss before he pulled back barely enough to let Jared take his place and the three of them didn't stop kissing until Jensen was almost swaying with the pure effort of standing up, his body aching with tiredness. 

"I think we'll sleep here," Jared said and pressed him down right there on the ground. "And you better be here when we wake up. We got a lot to talk about.

Jared shifted before Jensen had the time to say anything else, fitting himself up perfectly against Jensen's body.

"That we do," Jeff agreed and he shifted as well, looking at Jensen until he followed suit.

_Where are you heading?_ he asked when the three of them were wrapped so closely together that he couldn't tell where one body ended and the next began. 

_North,_ Jared answered and Jensen could feel him shrug slightly. _It doesn't matter, not really. We move when we want to, go where we want to._

Jensen thought about it, about the easy way Jeff called him mate and he knew it wouldn't be easy, balancing three strong werewolves, but he also knew that he was done being alone. And if it wasn't worth fighting for, it wasn't worth having. 

_North sounds good._

It was the first time in years that Jensen dared to let himself trust in others, trust them to keep him safe when he slept and trust them to be there when he woke up. 

It was the first time he felt like he truly belonged. 

**\- The End -**


End file.
